I've been busy for a while now, and have been missing from this forum. Well, in explination, it is all due to my martial arts classes.

Recently, we've been training a lot harder through my school for several reasons.

1-Puerto Rico competition. I competed and didn't end up below 3rd(2nd in weapons, and 3rd in open-hand) place in open-hand or weapon performances, but I still need to work on my forms.

2- Ocean Side competition. There is a competition comming up that I need to participate in and so do other students. What I've been doing is practicing my Tam Toi excercises for open-hand competition along with my Tai Chi Chuan Short Form. I've also concentrated a lot on my short staff form and my saber form for the weapons performances. This competition is also having many of our students participate, and what is happening is that we are advancing students quicker than usual to have more of them participate and just generally learn to work out quicker than what they are already used to.

3- Mixing of CIT and Black-belt classes. CIT is an acronym for "Certified Instructers Training." Black-belt classes are strictly for black-belts. The CIT classes are classes made for quick and intensive learning. There, we learn faster than in any other class. Where as in the regular or Black-belt classes you learn a weapon or a form in about 8 months, in CIT classes you learn that same form in about 2 months. The Black-belt classes are basically learning at the same speed as a regular class, but the work-out and what is expected of you is at a completely different level. Suddenly, breathing too hard is no longer a sign that you are tired, but a sign that you are weak. So what is happening is that we've mixed the two together for the next several weeks so that we can teach eachother different things for the competition and be ready for anything that might happen later.

What these things cause is basically, stress and disorganization, soreness in a level I never knew existed(hehehe), and long classes focused around speed, strength, and repitition. These things combined get me to spend all day either at work, showering to get the smell of sweat off of me, cleaning my suits, and passing out from being so tired(along with the eating and bathroom brakes I get in between). Which gives me very little time to be on the computer.

I'll try to keep up as much as possible, but I can't keep as active as I used to be until maybe November.

We'll, c ya. Take care. Thnx for listening...

Sounds like you are pretty busy. Good luck with your classes.